The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-17
The Knights to Return to silence.

Philadelphia Special to Plttsburg Dispatch.
The return of General Master Workman Pow
derby from his Western trip is daily expected at
the general headquarters here. He started
eastward from Denver, Col, on Wednesday
evening, but no intelligence has been received
from him since. After he arrives he will remain
sequestered at his home in Scranton, and will,
as he announced two weeks ago, refrain from
taking an active part in the business Of the order
until the end of this month. The rest which he
is enjoying is a much needed one, and his friends
had become seriously alarmed at his physical
condition, fearing that the strain and anxiety at
tendaut on his exacting !abors would unfit him
altogether for continuing his duties as general
master workman.
Strict privacy is preserved by the general Off
GERS and those most intimately associated with
Mr.. Powderly as to his present plans and move
ments. Nothing whatever is given out to the
newspapers which can be kept secret Indeed,
it is acknowledged fact that MIR. Powderly
and the general executive board are about to
turn to the old policy of secresy which was enun-
Grated and practiced by the founder of the order
Uriah S. Stephens away back in the 70s, when
even the name of the Knights organization
never uttered abroad, and was indicated solely
by ''the five stars"
During the great awakening of thought among
the laboripg classes, which continued from the
beginning of last year to the beginning of this
Mr.. Powderlv and his colleagues adopted an
entirely different policy and did not hesitate to
speak freely to the public concerning the won
derful growth of the order and us increasing in
fiuence Now however, that til order has be-
come widely established, they have resorted to
system exactly the reverse, ard have begun to
shroud their affairs in a garb of mystery. Mr.
Powderly has expressed bitter sentiment regard
ing the newspaper press. and even believes that
many of the leading journals of the country
conducted solely for the purpose of downing him
and his organization.
In an interview had with him recently by
your correspondent, he took occasion to denounce
the press of the country his avowed enemies.
and gave utterance to some curious opinions
about journalism in general He had been
asked in behalf of one of the leading papers of
corning the reported revolt of Knights in Chica-
go and other points in the West He replied
angrily:
II tell you," said he, 'T won't talk on any
question for tho enlightenment of the public
The newspapers want to get me into a contro.
snt with the b nna mens
not word for publication. Editors
matters and when I have favored them they
laugh at me and say tPowderly talking again.
or Powderly still talking So / have resolved
not to speak for publication. If anybody will
come to me for an interview and will guarantee
that nothing but what l say shall be printed,
then 1 will speak. But editors nave repeatedly
submitted to me proof sheets OF my interviews
for revision and have then printed statements
which never made.
I'm fact" Mr.. Powderly continued. ''some of
the newspapers of the country have not given
me anything like fair treatment. Ever since
the Richmond convention, last October, they
have assumed strange attitude toward
They have published columns and columns of
lies about and the order They accuse me
Of being in sympathy with the Anarchists If
the Anarchists commit outbreak. / am held
responsible. If any members of order do
anything unwisely. make bunder of any
kind, the blame is placed on me- although have
nothing to do with it. Every body ought to
know that I am an avowed enemy of the An
archist, and that perpetual war has been declared
between the Knights of Labor and the Anarch-
lists Whenever we contradict such reports the
newspapers keep silence Whenever a large
body of men threaten to withdraw from the
der, the papers Immediately cry, It's blow
aimed at Powderly.' But when big body of
men, or a whole trade. comes into the ORDER not
a word is said to the credit of Powderly.
1.-The New York and Chicago papers
posing the order for political reasons, and the
same is to a great extent of almost all other
papers We have found that the best way for
to announce is to embody it in secret circular,
and then the newspapers of the country, in their
zeal to injure US, will buy it up from some con-
temptible member eff the order and spread it all
over the land. The papers have no more right
to print secret circulars and make known
our affairs than they have TO publish the secrets
of the masons any other secret society. The
papers, in fact afraid to publish the signs
and pass words of the Masons. They afraid
of legal prosecution. Yet they are eager to do
that against us, because they know we are long
suffering.